What To Consider Before Buying Kobalt Power Tools For Your Renovation Projects
When you are looking to increase the number of DIY projects that you want to tackle, having the essential tools is important. When shopping for screwdrivers, pliers, and hammers, you might not be that worried about brand names. But, when it comes to using power tools, you may want to be a bit more picky about the brand, because these products are pricey and are meant to last. One option you may have heard about is Kobalt, but you may not know all that much about it. Kobalt is a Lowe's store brand, which means Lowe's owns the brand name, and you often can find good deals when compared to other power tool options when visiting the store.
Lowe's launched its Kobalt power tools in 1998, so it has almost three decades of trustworthy usage behind it. Kobalt encompasses more than 1,700 different products, including manual and power tools, as well as landscaping equipment. It's often easy to spot because of its blue color scheme that appears on all of its products. It's a line that primarily focuses on battery-powered options. The good news is that if you stick with a single brand like Kobalt, you can share your batteries among multiple different power tools, rather than having to buy separate batteries for each item you own, as batteries often are not transferable among different brands.
Where are Kobalt Power Tools manufactured?
Although Lowe's has its headquarters in Mooresville, N.C., and has more than 1,700 stores in the United States, it doesn't appear to manufacture its Kobalt products in the U.S. Instead, it appears the majority of its Kobalt-branded products are made in Asia. Lowe's doesn't publicize this fact, but the labels on many of its power tools list the manufacturing country of origin as Taiwan or China.
Lowe's owns the Kobalt brand name, which focuses on 24-volt battery-powered tools but also has 40-volt and 80-volt options. However, Lowe's does not make these power tools itself. Instead, it partners with numerous third-party companies to do the manufacturing. It appears some of its hand tools are made in the United States, and some parts used in the various products may be made in the United States, but the international third-party manufacturing companies that make the products primarily have their factories overseas.
One of the leading third-party manufacturers of Kobalt power tools is Chervon, which has won awards from Lowe's for its level of work. Chervon also makes brands like Skil that are sold at the hardware giant. Chervon began manufacturing power tools in 1994 when the company was founded in China. Chervon makes its own branded products, and it also manufactures similar products for major retailers like Lowe's. Chervon maintains its headquarters in China, but it has manufacturing facilities in both China and Germany.
Are high-end power tools available in the Kobalt brand?
It isn't one of the biggest secrets that Lowe's has, but the Kobalt line of power tools is relatively affordable for most homeowners, carrying a mid-range price point. Kobalt power tools have a range of warranties available, including a limited lifetime guarantee against defects that the manufacturer caused. However, the lifetime warranty doesn't include protection against normal wear and tear from your use of the product.
If you are familiar with Home Depot's store brand, Ryobi, you can expect a relatively similar type of quality and performance from Kobalt. Both brands offer products made for the occasional DIY project, rather than for the professional who needs these items to operate several hours per day every day with complete reliability.
In the power tools category, Kobalt offers many different types of battery-powered products, including circular saws, table saws, reciprocating saws, miter saws, tile saws, drills, impact wrenches, sanders, oscillators, routers, grinders, and mechanic's lights. Many people who are looking to purchase power tools for the first time may select Kobalt combination kits, which contain anywhere from two to six products. Such kits often include one or two batteries along with a charger, so you can use them with the same battery.